I use a fish scale, hooked onto a piece of music wire (could even be a piece of coat hanger) that is looped under the axle bolt head before the nut is tightened down. Pull on it perpendicular to the nose wheel.
I used a 3/8" drive socket on a 6' extension and stuck it through the wheelpant, onto the axle bolt head. Picked up a bathroom scale and held the face of it vertically against the extension and pushed and read the pounds.
